


An Anecdote with a Side of Scotch

by Quiet Maniac (Pandsiper)



Series: Gun Barrel Blues [3]
Category: Team Fortress 2
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-07-16
Updated: 2012-07-16
Packaged: 2017-11-10 02:46:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/461391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pandsiper/pseuds/Quiet%20Maniac
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Angus, a demoman, pushes away his teammates and refuses friendship as a punishment for his own failings, but one member may unwittingly change that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Anecdote with a Side of Scotch

**Author's Note:**

> Cannon - The White Stripes

 Thursday. Mid-Afternoon. The sun was beating down on the man-made arena, a hazy blur distorting anything more than a few metres away. Dust filled the air, teaming up with the sun to make it nearly impossible to see.

"Fookin' sun."

A lone man forged a path in the dust, particles swirling violently behind him as their gentle floating became disturbed. He ran the back of his hand over his forehead, sweat flying off as he swept it across. With each step he took, he spun the loaded chambers of his grenade launcher, the soft clicks breaking up the muffled sounds of his footsteps. His brow furrowed, trying to squint his single eye against the sun's harsh rays.

A flicker of reflected light caught his eye as it cut by his head, a crack following seconds later. Dust burst into the air as the high caliber round of a sniper rifle hit the dirt behind him. The piercing noise would've sent most men a startled step backwards, but this man's reaction was different; slower. A wide, toothy grin played across his face, his dry lips cracking in the dry heat, and he broke into a run towards a pile of crates, boxes stacked long ago and forgotten in the desert, useless for anything but a wall against a weasel.

He found a small hole between crates and his eye moved quickly from place to place, finally settling when it noticed a small bit of movement on the enemy team's barracks. The grin grew wider.

"YER GONTA REGRET THAT YA QUEEN'S DICK SUCKIN', SLUM-SLINKIN PISSBAG!" he bellowed in a mix of perverse joy and burning rage, a fire flickering behind his golden-brown eyes. He lifted his grenade launcher and fire several rounds at the barrack's deck, pipe bombs landing and rolling around with a thump accompanying each one. He could see the enemy Sniper leap up from his prone position, scrambling to get safe ground beneath his feet.

"Run, wee lassie," he cooed, licking his lips and switching to his sticky bomb launcher. Two stickies were quickly placed at his feet, and he flicked the detonator's lid open.

Click-click-boom- and he was a blur of blue and fire, scorching the bottom of his treated leather boots as he soared towards the balcony. The RED Sniper turned just in time for their eyes to meet as the Demoman's body connected with him, forcing him sharply to the ground. Pain seared through his legs, but he paid it no mind, the deafening pump of adrenaline drowning out any distractions. The Sniper tried to raise up only for the Demoman's arm to push him back down and hold him there, his alcohol-laced breath washing over the enemy Sniper.

"Oi ya stinkin' git, getcher ass offa me-" the Sniper scowled between gulps of air as he tried his damndest to breathe.

"Nawt a chance in hell, ya fuckwit Baz, n'yer sorry arse knows it."

"Fuck'awf Angus or ah'll take out yer other eye-" Baz began, reaching towards a kukri lying up against the wall.

That was a bad move, and Baz realised it quickly. His eyes widened as Angus' almost playful malice left and was quickly replaced by a soured glare. A solid left hook slammed hard into the Sniper's right eye, his sunglasses shattering and lacerating the space around his eyes.

"AH'LL SHOW YA TAKIN' AN EYE YA FOOKIN' TWAT," Angus screamed, spittle flying from his lips. The fist he had formed quickly wrapped around the wiry neck of the man beneath him. While Baz sputtered for air, gasping and clawing with his loose hand, the Demoman slowly pulled a bottle of scrumpy off of his belt and raised it high above his head. He slowly turned the bottle over, liquor pouring out onto the Sniper's gasping face, burning his eyes and nostrils and choking him even more. Angus laughed maniacally until the last drop dripped onto Baz's face.

"Awe, looks like ye took me last bit of scumpy, and ye didn' e'en ask," he whispered while the Sniper's face grew redder and redder, his clawing growing more and more desperate with each passing moment. Angus' smirk returned to his face and he swung the bottle to the side, a loud smash and flying glass accompanying the collision with a wall. He pulled the bottle towards Baz's alcohol drenched face, smiling at the fact that he was still pulling away despite it being so obvious he couldn't escape.

The bottle's broken edge was wet and shining in the sun as they were gently placed over Baz's eye. Words played across the Sniper's face, words of fear and rage and desperation, but they only made Angus more excited.

"Say hello to the boyos in respawn for meh," he cooed as he lifted the bottle up one last time and plunged it where it had been resting.

\---

Angus trudged back towards the BLU base, walking past three of his team members cheering and high fiving near the entrance. They had won today, and pretty handily too, with RED putting up little fight. _Somethin's throwin' 'em offa their game_ , Angus thought, but he pushed it aside as the BLU Engineer stepped out from the group and called his name.

"Angus! Ain't ya'll gonna join us for a little celebratin'?" the Engineer grinned, placing one hand on his hip and running his index finger under his nose.

"Ye know what I'm gonna say, Thomas," Angus answered, not even glancing the Engineer's way to see his grin transform into a frown.

"Aw, come now, Angus. Yer always mopin' around the base, you oughta join us and try ta have a good time!" Thomas called, but Angus just kept walking, disappearing into the base. He had the hardest time saying no to Thomas, probably because he was just so damn _nice_ , but he always did. Ever since his life had been ruined by that backstabbing, cheating bitch, he'd sworn he'd have no joy beyond causing others to suffer in her place.

He said no to poker. He said no to cornhole. He said no to birthday parties, even his own surprise ones planned by the others. Hell, he even said no to drinking with his team, preferring to drink himself to sleep on his own. Angus never spent time with the rest of the team beyond fighting those dirty REDs and he intended it to stay that way-

"HELLO, SOLDIER!"

"FECK," Angus screeched, leaping backwards and clutching his chest as the Soldier scared him shitless, "YE BRAINLESS CUNT, YE TRYIN' TO GIVE ME A BLOODY HEART ATTACK?"

"OF COURSE NOT, JUST THOUGHT I'D GIVE MY TEAMMATE A PAT ON THE BACK FOR A DAY WELL WON!" Soldier yelled, smiling a ignorantly happy smile and slapping Angus' back several times. The Demoman recoiled slightly, baring his teeth in a grimace that wrinkled his whole face. He began to object to any hair-brained schemes the Soldier may have had, but the Soldier grabbed at Angus' hand.

"OI," Angus growled, and pulled back on the Soldier's grip, throwing him towards the ground in his surprise. Soldier hit the ground hard, but quickly looked up and wiped the blood off of his mouth, smirking.

"NOW **THIS** IS A CELEBRATION I CAN GET BEHIND!" Soldier screamed with glee, rushing the Demoman and grasping his shoulders with a white knuckle grip. Angus didn't know how to react, so he tried to pull away, but Soldier wouldn't let him. He pulled his head back and then smashed it into Demoman's forehead, knocking him across the hall with a loud _thonk_.

"Ach, CHRIST, that'n hurt," Angus moaned, nursing his head in one hand and lifting himself up with the other. As he opened his eye again, he could see Soldier hopping back and forth in place, excitedly waving his arms in a manner that could only be described as a drunk man's fisticuffs. As soon as he was stable, Soldier began to run at him, raring a fist back. Right as he reached Angus, though, the demoman stepped to the side and rammed his knee into the Soldier's ribs. Soldier had the wind knocked out of him for a couple of seconds, a harsh wheeze escaping his lips, but the moment of weakness quickly turned as he threw another punch.

"Laddy, I knew ye loved fightin', but nae THIS much," Angus cried as he dodged fist after fist thrown at his face. Soldier just kept grinning and throwing punches as blood ran down from his nose and over his lips, staining his teeth.

"I WILL SEND YOU TO THE INFIRMERY WITH AN EYE SO BLACK YOU'LL BE ABLE TO ACTUALLY SEE IT!" Soldier bellowed, so enthusiastically it took Angus aback...and then he chuckled at the horrible joke. He giggled so hard it began to form into laughter, blood and spittle mixing and flying as he struggled to breathe. Soldier's throws slowed and his grin faded into an 'o', confusion leaking into his expression.

"DEHOHOhoo, hooohoohoho, thae' was so, hehohooh, fahckin' stupit, HAHOOHOhoHO, laddy," Demo cackled, tears streaming down his face. Soldier's confusion began to turn into a smirk, and even further became a toothy grin, with him soon joining Angus' raucous laughter. Angus slumped against a wall, wiping tears from his eyes as his laughter slowed. As the last laugh escaped his mouth, he closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall, a smile settling on his lips.

"Boyo, I haen't laughed thae' hard since my ex-wife told me she cared about me."


End file.
